Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The events in front of Chonghua Hall were relayed within the palace in a secretive yet rapid manner.

In Weiyang Palace, an elderly palace maid from Chonghua Hall conveyed the Emperor Emeritus's decree to the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus wishes that you select one of the princes and nobles in the capital as a consort for the Princess as soon as possible."

"I understand. You may all leave."

After dismissing the people from Chonghua Palace, the Empress Dowager sat on her phoenix couch, frowned in thought for a moment, and then turned her head to ask, "Where is Zhaoyang?"

"The eldest princess is in Zhaoyang Palace."

The Empress Dowager sighed softly and rose to walk towards Zhaoyang Palace.

Zhaoyang Palace is a side hall of Weiyang Palace, and it is also where Princess Zhaoyang grew up.

Princess Zhaoyang was sitting blankly in her former chamber when she heard a noise behind her. Turning around, she saw the Empress Dowager approaching alone. She quickly rose to greet her and asked, "Grandmother, how did things go up ahead? Did Grandfather give him any trouble?"

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang was still thinking about Jia Lian, the Empress Dowager felt a pang of pity. Poor girl, she was now deeply entangled in love.

"Don't worry. Jia Lian is the descendant of a founding hero and a minister trusted by your father. As long as he doesn't directly offend the emperor, your grandfather won't do anything to him."

The Empress Dowager patted Princess Zhaoyang's head, walked to the couch and sat down, then suddenly said, "But this is only temporary. If you two ignore my advice and insist on being together, we don't know how your grandfather will deal with you for the sake of the imperial family's reputation."

Princess Zhaoyang's expression changed again after her complexion had just eased somewhat.

The retired emperor had reigned for decades, and Princess Zhaoyang remembered his imperial might from a young age, which no one was allowed to offend.

This is also why she was so desperate after learning that the Emperor Emeritus had explicitly opposed her relationship with Jia Lian.

Looking sadly at the Empress Dowager, she asked, "Grandmother, is it really true that there's no possibility for him and me?"

As the child she raised herself, the Empress Dowager knew that Princess Zhaoyang was of excellent character. Yet, she was now showing such an attitude in front of her, which showed how much she cared about her and how much she wanted to be with Jia Lian.

but……

"In this world, no one can go against your grandfather's wishes, not even your father or I."

The Empress Dowager spoke very calmly to Princess Zhaoyang.

"Does the Empress Dowager mean that Jia Lian can't possibly get the Emperor to grant him mercy? He's always been the most opinionated, and he can even persuade the Emperor himself."

"At the Emperor's birthday banquet last time, I saw that the Emperor quite liked Jia Lian..."

The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised, wondering where Princess Zhaoyang got the confidence to think that Jia Lian might be able to persuade the Emperor Emeritus.

"You've surely seen your grandfather's attitude. Do you think that if your father were to plead for leniency at this point, your grandfather might rescind his order?"

Princess Zhaoyang remained silent.

She could imagine that the Emperor Emeritus would not show any leniency to Emperor Ningkang in such a matter. Moreover, Emperor Ningkang would not argue with the Emperor Emeritus over something like this.

She could sense that there was a tension between her father and grandfather.

The Emperor was willing to grant his and Jia Lian's wish, but he would not allow himself to compete with the Emperor Emeritus over this dishonorable matter.

If even the Emperor himself was in such a predicament, Jia Lian naturally had no chance of success.

"I understand," Princess Zhaoyang replied dejectedly.

The Empress Dowager beckoned to her, pulled her to sit down beside her, and said softly, "I know you like Jia Lian, and if possible, I would naturally hope that you can be with him."

But since things have come to this, if you truly care about him and want the best for him, you must learn to let go.

Your imperial grandfather did not severely punish you two this time, but that does not mean he is unwilling to do so.

Perhaps you're not afraid. But didn't you say that Jia Lian has lofty ambitions and is destined to be a hero who leads an era?

If he disobeys the imperial decree this time, he will surely anger your imperial grandfather. The consequences are obvious: at best, he will lose his official position and title; at worst, he will lose his life.

Neither of these scenarios is something you would want to see.

Even if he miraculously survives, even if your father reinstates him in the future.

But after such a setback, who can guarantee that he will still have the same spirit and demeanor, or whether he will have enough time to realize his ambitions?

Presumably, you would prefer the Jia Lian who is now full of vigor and ambition, capable of accomplishing things that others can only dream of with a smile, rather than a Jia Lian who is depressed or whose ambitions are thwarted.

Therefore, for Jia Lian's sake, and for your own, listen to your grandmother's advice and let it go.

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang silently shed tears, stroking her belly as she said, "I understand everything my grandmother said. I just... can't bear to part with my child..."

The Empress Dowager's expression also hardened. When she married the Emperor Emeritus, he was already over sixty years old, so she had no children.

Princess Zhaoyang was a descendant of her own niece, sharing the same bloodline as her.

Therefore, if possible, she also hopes to see Princess Zhaoyang's child born.

"Since this world cannot accept him, even if you bring him here, it will only bring him suffering and injustice."

You're still young, and you can have children in the future. So this won't have a big impact on you.

"Even if I can have children in the future, will they still be mine and Erlang's?"

The Empress Dowager could not answer Princess Zhaoyang's question, and only said, "You cannot protect him. Make a choice now before your grandfather is truly angry. It will be most beneficial for both you and Jia Lian."

I know you've always been intelligent and know what to choose. Think it over carefully, and come find me when you've made up your mind.

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she patted Princess Zhaoyang's hand and got up to leave.

She had said everything she needed to say, and she believed that Princess Zhaoyang had made the right judgment and would make the right choice.

……

In front of Chonghua Palace, Jia Lian did not wait long before he saw Wang Fu walking over with those slouching, unenthusiastic steps.

"Rise, the Emperor Emeritus summons you to the palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Eunuch..."

Jia Lian outwardly expressed his gratitude, but inwardly he knew that it was definitely not this damned eunuch who had a change of heart and relayed the message for him.

The reason he knelt here to request an audience was because he was certain that the Emperor Emeritus would receive the news.

He didn't believe that Wang Fu could control everything in Chonghua Palace. In fact, any emperor with a modicum of intelligence would not allow a eunuch to silence him.

Needless to say, Wang Fu was not the chief eunuch of Chonghua Palace.

As Jia Lian had predicted, Wang Fu was merely following orders to summon him. He was quite indignant; Jia Lian had committed such a serious offense, yet the Emperor Emeritus not only punished him lightly but was even willing to meet with him.

However, seeing how polite Jia Lian had become to him, he thought Jia Lian had become sensible, and his expression softened a little, but he still looked arrogant and said indifferently, "Let's go."

Little did he know, in the mind of the person before him, he had already decided on death.

This was the first time Jia Lian had stepped into the Emperor Emeritus's sleeping quarters—the Chonghua Palace.

Upon entering, Jia Lian's first impression was not one of solemnity or majesty, but rather of luxury, extreme extravagance.

The grand hall was deep and spacious, filled with all sorts of precious and luxurious utensils. The walls and gilded pillars were covered with various paintings, calligraphy, and copybooks.

Although not a collector of artifacts, Jia Lian knew that each of the hundreds of furnishings here could be priceless.

At the northernmost part of the main hall, there was a high couch where two old men were playing chess.

One of them was the retired emperor whom I had met at the birthday banquet that day. He was wearing a loose dragon robe and leaning against the couch, with a pair of young eunuchs behind him massaging his shoulders.

Opposite him, an old eunuch knelt on a shoe stool, leaning against the dragon bed and playing chess with the retired emperor.

"Reporting back to Your Majesty, Marquis Jia Lian of Zhenyuan has arrived."

Wang Fu stepped forward to inform the Emperor Emeritus, and after the Emperor Emeritus raised his hand in acknowledgment, he stood respectfully to the side.

Jia Lian then kowtowed and said, "Your humble servant Jia Lian pays his respects to the Emperor Emeritus."

"Um."

The retired emperor appeared nonchalant. After placing a piece on the chessboard, he asked without looking up, "Why do you insist on seeing me?"

After saying that, before Jia Lian could speak, he added, "If you have come here because of your and Zhao Yang's matter, I advise you to think carefully before you speak."

I have taken into consideration your reputation for talent and the fact that you are the grandson of Daishan, which is why I have made an exception for you.

You should be content.

Although the Emperor Emeritus's voice was not harsh, it put a lot of pressure on Jia Lian as soon as he opened his mouth.

This calm yet authoritative voice was enough to show that the Emperor Emeritus's mind was made up, allowing no one else to question it, and leaving no room for negotiation.

If someone were smarter or less courageous, they would have obediently knelt down and paid their respects to the Emperor Emeritus at this point.

But Jia Lian is Jia Lian after all. He bowed and said, "Your humble servant understands and thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

However, this humble servant and Princess Zhaoyang are mutually in love and truly devoted to each other. The Emperor Emeritus is merciful and hopes that he may grant us our blessing.

On the dragon bed, the Emperor Emeritus's originally calm expression froze slightly, and the chess piece he had been holding between his index and middle fingers was thrown down heavily.

The crisp sound of the jade chess pieces colliding with the jade chessboard was unusually sharp in the quiet hall.

The eunuchs standing in the hall involuntarily lowered their heads.

They all knew that the Emperor Emeritus seemed displeased.

If the retired emperor is displeased, at best someone will suffer misfortune, and at worst, someone will lose their head.

Even the old eunuch, who had been smiling all along, suddenly stopped smiling. But to Jia Lian's surprise, in the instant he lowered his head, the eunuch seemed to shake his head at him and give him a dissuading look.

If Jia Lian's guess is correct, this person should be the chief eunuch of Chonghua Palace.

He was certain he had no connection with this person, so why was he expressing goodwill at this time? Could it be because of Princess Zhaoyang or Yuan Chun?

Jia Lian thought to himself.

In the end, the Emperor Emeritus did not get angry. After two rounds of silence, he said, "Grant your favor? If I grant your favor, what will become of the imperial family's reputation?"

If a princess of the imperial family were to become entangled with a married man and even attempt to steal his husband, the world would surely gossip endlessly, greatly damaging the imperial family's reputation.

Can you handle this responsibility?

After saying that, without waiting for Jia Lian's reply, he continued, "How about this, for the sake of Dai Shan, I will give you a chance."

I will issue an edict ordering the death of Lady Wang, and then you will announce to the public that Lady Wang has died of illness.

"Since one of you is unmarried and the other is widowed, no one will gossip anymore. This way, we can preserve the imperial family's reputation and also ensure your marriage to Zhaoyang. What do you think?"

After saying this, the Emperor Emeritus seemed to want to see Jia Lian's reaction, so he turned around and glanced at him.

Jia Lian's face was ashen.

After a long silence, Jia Lian looked up and said in a deep voice, "I beg the Emperor Emeritus to have mercy and give me a second option."

The Emperor Emeritus had already stopped looking at Jia Lian. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "I'm only giving you this one chance. Tell me your answer before this game ends."

The retired emperor casually uttered these words and then focused on the game of chess, unaware that Jia Lian below had already clenched his fists.

He seemed to understand somewhat the difference between this old emperor who had reigned for decades and Emperor Ningkang.

Although Emperor Ningkang possessed imperial power, it was outwardly displayed and traceable. Jia Lian could use this to understand his preferences and thoughts, and then guide him accordingly.

However, when faced with an emperor like the retired emperor, whose expression was indifferent and whose words were calm, it seemed that subjects could only respond with a simple "yes." Apart from that, daring to utter a single word was considered disobedience and insubordination, and could incur disaster at any moment.

Jia Lian didn't know how to deal with such an emperor. It seemed that this kind of emperor didn't need the advice of his ministers at all; he had long since developed an attitude of "those who obey prosper, those who resist perish."

Without even thinking, Jia Lian knew that he could not accept the opportunity offered by the retired emperor.

If he were simply trying to curry favor with the powerful, he would have readily agreed to the Empress Dowager's arranged marriage.

Therefore, even if Princess Zhaoyang was kind enough to him, and even if Princess Zhaoyang could certainly bring him a lot of help, he could not exchange Feng Jie'er's life for her dependence.

Furthermore, he had a keen sense that the opportunity given by the retired emperor might not be an opportunity at all.

The motive is unknown, but Jia Lian has a feeling that even if he agrees to the Emperor Emeritus's request, he still will not be able to win Princess Zhaoyang's heart.

Because in just one meeting and a few words, he had already determined the Emperor Emeritus's attitude.

There's not much more to say. Even Emperor Ningkang couldn't go against the Emperor Emeritus's wishes, so Jia Lian didn't think he was any more capable than Emperor Ningkang.

Seeing that the chess game above was settled, Jia Lian kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I understand. I will take my leave now."

Upon hearing this, the retired emperor turned to look at Jia Lian and nodded secretly.

Just as rumored, he has a good temperament and is quite shrewd.

Seeing Jia Lian bow and prepare to leave, he suddenly laughed and asked, "Do you know how to play chess?"

"Go back to the Supreme Emperor and learn a few things."

"In that case, come and play a game of chess with me."

Since the Emperor Emeritus had given the order, Jia Lian naturally dared not refuse. After the eunuchs had cleaned the chessboard, he bowed to the Emperor Emeritus and sat down opposite him.

The eunuch Wang Fu was already surprised and jealous that Jia Lian had been kept by the retired emperor to play chess. After all, in his eyes, being able to play chess with the retired emperor was an immense honor, and few officials in the court had such a privilege.

Upon closer inspection, Jia Lian was seen sitting cross-legged on the dragon bed, and the first instinct was to reprimand him.

The old eunuch who had given his seat to Jia Lian glanced at him and noticed that the Emperor Emeritus hadn't made any move, but had already taken the black robe first. Ultimately, he didn't dare to approach and disturb him.